Court Rejects Government's Bid for Secrecy in Airport ID Appeal

San Francisco, CA - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the government's attempt to bar the press and the public from a trial where plaintiff John Gilmore is challenging the constitutionality of requiring airline passengers to show ID.

Last week, the government tried to sidetrack Gilmore's appeal to the Ninth Circuit by asking to have the case heard in secret and with motions filed "under seal," arguing that disclosing the security directive could be "detrimental to the security of transportation."

"This case is about the unconstitutionality of secret law as well as about forcing people to show ID," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Lee Tien. "We're glad the court didn't buy into this administration's obsession with secrecy."

When Gilmore's case was dismissed by US District Judge Susan Illston in 2002, the government refused to show the challenged regulations to the district court -- or admit that the regulations even existed.